God Is Kind

"That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:7)

David had just become king of Israel. He summoned a servant of Saul, the former king, and asked him, "Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him?" (2 Samuel 9:3)

The servant told the king about Mephibosheth, a grandson of Saul who was still living. Mephibosheth had fallen when he was a little boy, and his injuries had never healed correctly. Now he was lame. He could not be a great warrior for King David, and he couldn't be of much help as a servant. If anything, he would only be a burden to the king.

David called Mephibosheth to his house. He told Mephibosheth that he had been good friends with his father, Jonathan. He invited the lame man to live with him in his palace, to own the land that had belonged to Saul, and to eat at the king's table for the rest of his life. Mephibosheth hardly knew what to say. He could not imagine why the king would even think twice about a man like him, but he bowed before David and gratefully accepted his offer.

How was David's act of kindness like the kindness of God? God had a plan to show kindness to us before we were even born. He showed us kindness through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and provided a way for us to come to God. In a way, we too were "lame." We were completely undeserving. There was nothing that we could do to help ourselves or to earn God's favor. We were dead in our sins. But because of God's great mercy and love, He brought us alive at the moment of our salvation. He brought us into His family and now He provides for us everything that we need. The best news of all is that His wonderful plans of kindness are not finished yet. Ephesians tells us that He has great treasuries of grace and kindness stored up for "the ages to come," throughout eternity!

God has shown His kindness to us in Jesus Christ, and He will continue to do so through all eternity.

My Response:» Do I understand how undeserving I am of God's kindness? » Have I bowed before God today and thanked Him for His kindness to me?

CH Spurgeon

“Don’t rely too much on labels, for too often they are fables.”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, often called “C.H.” Spurgeon, is known as the most famous British Baptist preacher in Christian history. Born on June 19, 1834, he has often been called “the Apostle Paul of his generation.” Remarkably, he was never taught to preach, yet he became the most popular preacher in all of London.

At age 15, he was walking home, when the sky above him suddenly opened into a terrible snowstorm. Looking for somewhere to stay warm until the storm passed, he ducked into a church building where a service was taking place. The preacher was reading Isaiah 45:22 about looking to Jesus as the substitute Lamb slain for our sins, and the simple message of it changed Charles Spurgeon’s whole worldview. God opened Spurgeon’s spiritual eyes so he could look to Jesus that day for salvation.

He began preaching at age 16. Soon, he was preaching to crowds of 10,000 at a time – and this was before microphones were invented! From the very beginning, Charles Spurgeon was a gifted speaker and a powerful preacher. By age 20 he had already preached over 600 times. At age 25, he built the famous Metropolitan Tabernacle which seated 5,000 for each service. Even that was not enough room, since usually 1,000 or so more people would have to stand outside the Tabernacle to listen.

People began to call Spurgeon “the Prince of Preachers,” and his sermons were published in written form like a newsletter each week. By the end of his life, he had preached more than 3,600 sermons and published over 49 books and commentaries.

He married Susannah and raised twin sons. With his family, he helped start the Pastor’s College and the Stockwell Orphanage. He often said, “I’d rather be poor in His service than rich in my own.”

What would you prefer? What would you like to be rich in – God’s service or man’s wealth?

Isaiah 45:22 – “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”

Description of God

Who Crowneth Thee with Loving-KindnessPsalm 103:4 "Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; "

Question & Answer

What must we do in order to be have our sins forgiven and receive eternal life?

We must repent and believe (have faith). Mark 1:15 -- And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

BIG Christian Word

Trinity - (TRIN-uh-tee)

The word "trinity" is not in the Bible. "Tri" means three. The Persons of the Trinity exist as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each person is fully God and has all the characteristics and qualities of God. In the book of Genesis, there is a verse which verifies that God was not alone in the world's creation. Genesis 1:26 reads, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." In the book of John, Jesus tells how important it was that He go to the Father so the "Comforter" (the Holy Spirit) could come into the world.